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The Satyricon - Petronius
November 12, 2008
One usually begins these writings on Roman literary works with an introduction to the author of the said work. In the case of The Satyricon, however, matters become complicated. Scholars have only a single name connected with the work: Petronius. While they cannot say with certainty who this Petronius is, they can assert a credible theory as to his identify. If the theory is correct, it makes the author as interesting as the work under consideration...
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Dacia and Modern Politics
October 24, 2008
In the study of History, the detachment of one’s own cultural values can be hard to achieve. In most examples of historical writing – including the ancient sources (e.g. Tacitus, Annals, 1.1; Livy, 1.1.1.) – the claim of impartiality rarely departs from the text; but, with most examples of historical writing, the execution of full impartiality is a rarity. It is, as it were, hard not to claim that cultural bias is ingrained at a subliminal level (Mattingly, 1997, 14). The mindset of the historian always resonates throughout his prose...
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Propertius
October 03, 2008
A love-struck Roman male was once construed an oxymoron. The Latin mos maiorum placed duty to the state above all other considerations, including romance. Had not Aeneas sacrificed his love for Dido in siring the Roman race? And yet it was Rome that developed the love elegy, the poet's exaltation of a man's amorous servitude. Sextus Propertius was one of the leading voices of those who, in so many words, placed Cupid's arrows before Rome's majesty. While Augustus' regime tried to co-opt Propertius for their moralizing mission, they were never entirely successful. Despite that, or perhaps because of that, Propertius' poetry resounds throughout the ages, to be appreciated readily by the modern romantic...
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The Erotic Poems by Ovid
September 25, 2008
Love be not proud. Let love be cynical, irreverent and bawdy! Ovid is the perfect cure for maudlin saps pining for unrequited romances. The good man from Sulmo is perhaps the most infamous Roman poet, and deservedly so. Not content with being a creature of the Augustan propaganda machine and its prudish morality, Ovid literally turned fornication into a high art. Adultery, seduction, objectification of women - Ovid pulled no punches in his early career. Obsessed with achieving immortality through the written word, Ovid attained his goal - but at a cost. Like an overly proud angel, the poet was cast down from heaven to his own hell. Penguin's The Erotic Poems gives us a glimpse of this forbidden but delicious fruit...
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An Imperial Possesion by David Mattingly
September 14, 2008
"Every telling of history is a product of its age"
The opening words by the author of An Imperial Possession - Britain in the Roman Empire underline what is perhaps the entire purpose of this book. David Mattingly makes it clear from the outset that the story of the Roman occupation has been studied and written before, many times. The setting has been described, the characters outlined, and the plot established. Like an old favourite story by the fireside, the Roman occupation of Britain has become something familiar and comfortable. But is it correct?
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Gladiatrix by Russell Whitfield
September 10, 2008
When I received Russell Whitfield’s Gladiatrix for review, I was ecstatic. Even before I opened to the first page I was impressed. The cover itself, though paperback, is a work of art. A brief glimpse through the pages revealed that this was definitely something I wanted to read. I was not disappointed. Mr. Whitfield wastes no time at all getting into the action. The first page starts out with a fight scene, vividly described in awe-inspiring, and heart racing, detail. The action does not slow down as the story continues, either. The depictions are graphic; a very good book, but not one for the faint of heart...
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